You Turned Him Into An OX!
by Sensible One
Summary: Can love be infectious? Two seemingly independent girls are about to find out. HaruOC KyoOC
1. Part 1

**You Turned Him Into An OX?!**

_An One-Shot (which I had to turn into a really short story) dedicated to my Big Sis, Kimmiko :D This one's very old, but I decided to put it up anyway._

* * *

Part 1

"Yet another day that makes us older minute after minute; adults, who think they have something interesting to tell you, yet all you dream of is to drown them in the toilet water, and people around your age you are stuck with a couple of hours a day with. We hate them, they hate us. A circle with no end, not until you're old enough to finish it and leap into another circle, work. Yes, the day of doom is coming. Starting tomorrow, it will be our dislike of life growing, not intelligence."

"… It's only the first day of school, Kimmi-chan. It won't be any worse than a year ago."

The first girl, Kimmiko, raised her head to look at her friend. Her light green eyes were half-closed and her face was drained of any emotion.

"I have a weird feeling that this year, it will be different."

Hokori sighed, rubbing the back of her neck. "I hope not. I like everything the way it is now."

Kimmi stared at her friend boldly. "You never change, Hokori."

"Good."

Both girls were at Hokori's house, spending the last day of holidays watching some movies, listening to music and talking. They haven't seen each other for a month, because Kimmiko had visited her family in America and Hokori had spent her vacation in Kyoto.

After a few hours of talking and watching some good movies, Hokori made the beds and Kimmiko cooked a delicious supper. After eating, both girls raced to the bathroom, wanting to be the first one to take a long hot bath.

"Hah, I won!" Hokori cried out.

"No way!" Kimmi argued "I was here first, be so kind and get yourself out of here."

"No way!"

"I'm the guest, so I'm first!"

"You're here so often, you might as well live here all the time!"

"Fine, fine," Kimmi sighed tiredly. "Let's settle this like real women."

"_Cat fight?!_" Hokori yelped.

Kimmiko sweat-dropped. "No, I meant Rock-Paper-Scissors."

"Oh." Kori grinned sheepishly "I knew that."

"Of course." The blonde-haired girl rolled her eyes "3… 2… 1…"

Both girls held up their fists simultaneously. Rock.

"Okay… One more time."

Again, both had their palms open. Paper.

"One more time."

Two rocks again.

"Again."

Two scissors.

Two papers.

Two rocks.

"Ugh," Hokori growled. "One more time, and don't copy me!"

Kimmiko, determined to win this one, threw out her fist. But then, Kori grabbed her by the wrist and literally threw her our of the bathroom. Kimmiko yelped, startled by her actions. By the time she got up from the floor, the door closed shut; Hokori's laughter could be heard clearly.

"You biatch, you cheated!" Kimmiko screamed.

"I just used my super special skills to defeat you!"

"Super special skills, my ass! You caught me off guard!"

"Not my fault you're not prepared all the time. So _nyaaah_!"

"Damn you!" Kimmiko frowned "Revenge, it will be done," she muttered to herself and returned to Hokori's room.

The room wasn't big, but everything that had to be in it was there. The walls were painted a dark yellow color, the furniture was made of dark wood. There was only one bed, but a huge armchair could be unfold and create another simple bed. It was Kimmi's usual sleeping place, because it was, in her opinion, much more comfortable than the bed.

The girl made her way towards her bed when her foot got caught in a fold on the carpet and she fell down with a loud thud.

"Hey, Kimmi-chan! You better NOT make a mess in there!!" Hokori's voice came from the bathroom.

"Eh," Kimmiko got up and glared at the fold, when she realized something. She grabbed the carpet and lifted it a bit. The fold wasn't the cause of her fall. Underneath the carpet, a small black notebook with a blue design on the front cover was laying. Curious, Kimmi picked it up to take a closer look. She opened it after a while and let out a quiet gasp.

'_**Under any circumstances, DO NOT READ FURTHER.**_' was written on the first page. Lifting an eyebrow, Kimmiko flipped the page.

'_**SERIOUSLY, LEAVE THE NOTEBOOK ALONE!**_'

Kimmiko sweat-dropped, but flipped the page again.

'_**I'M WARNING YOU!!**_'

Closing her eyes for a second, the girl continued to flip the pages.

'_**UGH, YOU STUBBORN THING. STOP IT!!**_'

"As if," Kimmi muttered and a triumphant smile appeared on her lips as the next page revealed some more text than those silly warnings. "Finally."

Hokori exited the bathroom, feeling refreshed and sleepy at the same time. She wanted nothing more than to bury herself in her warm covers and never get up, especially for school. Before she entered her room, she put her ear closer to the door and listened intently. No sound came from the inside of her room.

Turning the door knob, the girl called out, "Hey, Kimmi-chan, have you fallen asleep? The bathroom's all yours now!"

At the sight before her, Hokori felt her heart stop beating. There, on the armchair-bed sat Kimmiko, a small black notebook in her hands. Her green eyes were rolling back and forth, reading the lines that Hokori had written.

Upon hearing the door slam, Kimmiko looked up. "Oh, hey Hokori. Give me a minute, okay?" and she continued reading, as if nothing happened.

"You… Where…" the blonde looked up again as her friend spoke, her voice shaking slightly "Where did you…?"

"I tripped over it. It was laying under the carpet."

"And it was **supposed** to stay there!" Hokori shrieked. She made a couple of shaky steps towards Kimmiko "Didn't you read the first pages?!"

"You mean those silly warnings?" Kimmi snorted "Come on, it only sharpened my appetite."

"But it's _private_!" Kori argued, reaching out for the notebook "It has all my secrets in there!" Kimmiko moved the notebook out of Hokori's reach "Give it to me!"

"I thought friends don't have secrets."

The brunette froze. It was quiet for a while, then Kimmiko sighed. She calmly put Hokori's diary on her bed.

"You never told me you had a crush on Kyo Sohma."

* * *

Kimmiko and Hokori were standing in front of the school building. Both had their navy school uniforms on, though Kimmi had the jacket taken off and thrown over her shoulder.

"Ready to enter Hell on Earth?" she asked.

"No," Hokori replied "But that doesn't change the fact that I'm forced to do it."

"Good answer."

Kori cast a glance at her friend. A small smile lightened up her tired face.

"So, we have around -" Kimmi glanced at her watch "Two minutes before the bell rings and we will be sucked into that hole of a school." Her green eyes landed on Hokori "Any last wishes?"

Hokori shook her head with a slight smile. "Nah, I'm good."

"Sure you are," Kimmi nudged her friend playfully.

Hokori's cheeks flared with red.

"Ah! Yasai-san! Kotoni-san!" both girls turned around at the sound of a cheery voice. Tohru Honda approached them with a wide smile on her face. Behind her, four Sohma boys were standing; Momiji was wearing the girls' uniform, Hatsuharu was standing a bit in the back, looking bored out of his mind, and Yuki and Kyo were exchanging glares from time to time.

"Honda-san! Nice to see you again!" Hokori replied with an equally wide smile.

"Hey," Kimmiko merely greeted.

Kimmiko and Hokori weren't very close with Tohru and her friends; Tohru was a year older and was in a different class, but they did know each other, and Honda seemed to like both girls very much. And they liked Tohru all the same.

Of all the people in the school, Kimmiko simply couldn't stand Yuki Sohma, the Prince. They never really talked much, but the feeling of strong dislike had sprouted since the first time the girl had laid her eyes upon him.

Every time the Prince was fighting with Kyo, Kimmiko always was cheering for the Orange-Head. She liked his temper and personality. Even though, just like with Yuki, Kimmi never really spent time with him, she was sure she'd get along with Kyo just fine. Now that she knew that her best friend has a crush on him since forever, it was only another plus on his account.

The short, blonde Momiji didn't bother Kimmiko at all. Sure, it was a bit weird for a boy to wear girls' uniform, but it was his choice and Kimmi was okay with it. He was a bit too loud and joyful, but a good kid nonetheless.

And finally, Hatsuharu… He was quite a mystery. He was usually calm and quiet, with a faraway look in his dark eyes. But sometimes, his personality changed 180 degrees. That was happening rarely when she was around, but she did witness the change once. His eyes, so fogged over and unfocused, had turning sharp and cold. And this didn't scare her – this only intrigued her.

The sound of the school bell snapped Kimmiko out of her musing. She saw Hokori waving at Tohru, Yuki and Kyo, who made their way towards their class. Momiji and Haru also began walking.

"Come on, Kimmi-chan! We don't want to get late on our first class, do we?" Hokori adjusted her bag and followed the two boys to class. Sighing, the blonde-haired girl did the same.

* * *

"Man, wasn't that boring or what?" Kimmi stifled a yawn as she turned around in her seat to look at Hokori. It was lunch break, but the two decided to stay in class.

The brunette sat there, unmoving, her light colored eyes all glazed over. Kori had another one of her daydream session. _'It's the fourth time today!'_ Kimmi frowned a bit.

"Hello? Anyone in there?" she snapped her fingers right in front of Hokori's face. The other girl blinked, coming back to Earth.

"Eh?"

"Geez, did you spend the whole lesson like that?" Kimmiko rolled her eyes.

Hokori shrugged in response and continued to stare at the blackboard, not really seeing it.

_'I never thought it would happen… Hokori was the only girl I know who didn't care about boys and silly crushes. But now, she's in love with that Car__rot-top!'_ Kimmiko sighed _'The curse of love slowly corrupts the world… But not me.'_

"Hey kid, watcha doin' in a girls' uniform?"

"Yeah, you look really wrong in it!"

The blonde turned her head to see two older boys standing the doorway of the class, leering down on Momiji.

"Ah, do you have a problem?" the kid asked sweetly, a big cheerful smile on his face.

"Yeah we do!" one of the boys crossed his arms "Are you a boy or a girl? Why the hell are you dressed in THAT?!"

"Because I like this uniform better!" was the response and Momiji continued to smile widely, unfazed by their angry shouts.

"Well, you better start wearing clothes for men, ya hear?" the second boy yelled.

"But -"

"Don't talk to us, you little sissy! People like you are just WRONG!"

Kimmiko felt really pissed at them. She usually didn't care about the affairs of others, but two older and bigger guys were picking on a younger student. And that was just disgusting.

"Assholes." Hokori muttered and Kimmi snorted.

"I have a better choice of words…"

But then, a shadow fell upon the two boys. Hatsuharu stood next to Momiji, a strange glint in his eyes. His face seemed to be overshadowed by a dark cloud which was about to break into a fit of thunder.

"Got a problem with his uniform?" Kimmiko couldn't help but notice how his voice changed; it was slightly deeper, and much darker and dangerous. A kind which causes shivers to the people who hear it.

"Heh, you ain't any better! Two-colored hair? Black and white? Like a cow or something!" the first boy spat out without thinking. "You two, are you gay?"

Hatsuharu didn't bother to reply verbally. Instead, he grabbed the by the collar of his shirt and lifted him, without much effort, off the floor. His eyes turned even colder than before.

"You have exactly 3 seconds to apologize," he uttered quietly "3… 2…"

"AH! Let me go!!"

"Hey, stop that, punk!" the boy's companion cried out, but his voice was shaking with fear. Hatsuharu simply ignored him.

"Time's up." And he punched him straight in the face.

"Oh no, he's Black again!" Momiji wailed in the background.

Kimmiko blinked at that, but acted immediately. She left her seat and ran over to Haru, grabbing his forearm firmly. The boy turned his attention to her.

"As much as I'd love to watch you beating the crap out of him, I must say it's not worth the trouble. So leave it for after school." She said calmly. Kimmiko was glaring at the boy Hatsuharu held; blood began to come out of his nose and his cheek was slowly turning swollen. Then, the girl averted her gaze and looked straight into Haru's cold, merciless eyes. Something about him changed, she was sure of it.

Hatsuharu smirked at her. She held his gaze without so much of a flinch. Then, he let go of the guy's shirt, making him land on his ass with a quiet yelp. The boy got up really quickly and ran away; his companion escaped when the punch took place.

"You have guts, girl," Haru uttered, fully turning towards Kimmiko.

"You put it lightly, and my name is Kimmiko. In case you forgot, we're in class together, so you are allowed to call me by my name." she replied matter-of-factly.

"Kimmiko, eh?" he chuckled "I'll be sure to remember that -"

A fist made contact with the back of his head all of a sudden. Kimmiko jumped out of the way just in time, and Hatsuharu landed on the floor when she just stood. In the doorway, stood Kyo.

"The whole lunch room is talking about you!" he yelled, looking annoyed. "Beating the crap out of an older student? It's so annoying when you turn Black," he added with a sigh.

"It wasn't even half of 'beating the crap' out of him." Kyo, Kimmiko and Hatsuharu, who sat up and rubbed the back of his head, his usual blank expression back on his face, turned to see Hokori making her way slowly towards them. Her face showed a mixture of nonchalance and boredom, her eyes set on Kyo. "He just served him a nice punch. Besides, that guy seriously had it coming."

"Well, whatever it was, don't make it happen anytime soon, got that?" the orange-headed Sohma quickly switched his attention from Hokori back to the standing up Haru. "Geez, to have to baby-sit you at school…"

Hokori stared at his back as he walked out of the classroom.

"Nee, Haru! Let's go, I want to see Tohru!" Momiji said with a smile as he took a hold of Hatsuharu's sleeve and began to drag the boy out, following Kyo.

"Oh yeah, I need to talk to Honda-san, too." Hokori uttered, blinking in realization. Kimmiko smirked.

"You sure you didn't mean _'Kyon-Kyon'_?" she grinned teasingly as her friend blushed lightly.

"Mainly it's Tohru." Hokori rolled her eyes. She glanced at Kimmi "You coming?"

As if on cue, the bell rang. Kimmiko sighed. "No, I guess I'll stay here and cover for you… Funny, it's always the other way around."

"Thanks, you know you're the best," and Hokori disappeared, running straight towards the lunch room, hoping to catch Tohru on her way out. She noticed Hatsuharu and Momiji making their way back to the classroom.

"Hey, you! Where's Honda-san?" she asked, slowing down only a bit.

"Tohru is back in her class now!" Momiji replied, his trademark wide, cheerful smile on his face.

Hokori stopped completely. "Damn. I didn't get to skip class." Without another word, she turned around and headed back.

Kimmiko was surprised to see Hokori walking in, followed by Hatsuharu and Momiji, before the teacher came.

"What happened?" she asked as the brunette took her place behind her.

"I was too late." Hokori shrugged. "I'll catch her after school then,"

"What is it you want to talk about with her?" Kimmiko was really curious; usually, Hokori didn't want, or need, to talk with anyone beside Kimmiko and some occasional people, but that happened rarely.

"It's nothing important, really," once again, Hokori shrugged.

Kimmiko opened her mouth to continue questioning her friend, but the teacher came. Annoyed at the timing, and genuinely intrigued, Kimmi turned around to face the front of the class, thinking how would she make Hokori spill everything after school.


	2. Part 2

Part 2

Hokori vanished right after the bell, drowning among other students. Sighing, Kimmiko changed her shoes and walked out of the school, her schoolbag thrown through her shoulder.

She couldn't stop thinking about Hatsuharu and his sudden change of attitude. She heard rumors before, rumors of the always bored-looking, not-caring-about-anything Sohma boy whose changing into a cold, ruthless and merciless demon. But it was the first time she'd witness it with her own eyes. It was hard to explain even for herself, but at that moment, Kimmiko felt she had to break in between Hatsuharu - who'd looked like he was ready to kill – and the dumb boy whose name she did not know. _'The look in his eyes…'_ the girl sighed softly, remembering the strange glint in Haru's eyes.

_**"O**__**h no, he's Black again!"**_

Kimmiko paused, her eyes narrowing in concentration. _'Momiji called him 'Black'… What does that mean? Some kind of split personalities?'_

"Earth to Kimmiko, do you copy?"

"Aye," Kimmiko rolled her eyes before turning to face Hokori "Done talking with Honda-san?"

"Yeah, everything's fine. C'mon, I'm getting really hungry," the brunette shrugged and started walking beside Kimmiko.

"Would it make you answer if I ask what were you talking with Honda-san about?"

"Eh…" Hokori pretended to consider it for a second "Nope."

"I see." Kimmi remained indifferent "Guess I'll have to look into that diary of yours."

"I don't think that'll help," Hokori smirked "I so happened to put it elsewhere."

"Judging by the last hiding place, it'll take me 5 minutes to find it." Kimmiko returned the smirk.

"Considering it's in my room, smart-ass." At Kimmiko's slightly confused look, the other girl's smirk widened into a grin "I'm learning from my past mistakes, honey,"

"Tricky."

"Duh."

* * *

A week later, early morning. Kimmiko and Hokori were walking to school together, as always. Their talk was interrupted by noises which were coming from around the corner. Exchanging curious glances, the two girls crept up to the source as quietly as they could.

It was Kyo and Yuki, arguing loudly over something. Tohru was standing in the middle, trying to calm them both down, but not succeeding. Kyo kept insulting Yuki, calling him 'Damn Rat', then he raised his arm and aimed a punch, but suddenly, Tohru threw herself on him to stop him.

The two girls hidden behind the wall witnessed something they wouldn't even dream of. As soon as Tohru's arms circled around Kyo, the boy disappeared in a puff of orange smoke. Tohru landed on her knees. There was a small orange cat on her lap, it's fur color oddly similar to Kyo's hair color.

"Kyo-kun! Yuki-kun! Stop fighting!" she pleaded.

"What the Hell happened just now?"

Yuki and Tohru's heads snapped in the direction where Kimmiko and Hokori were standing. Kimmi let out a groan; Hokori covered her mouth with a sheepish look on her face.

"Didn't mean to let it slip out loud – sorry…"

"Oh…" Yuki's purple eyes widened in shock "You…"

"Yasai-san! Kotoni-san!" Tohru got up, trying to hide the small cat behind her back "Hello!"

"Please don't mind us, Honda-san," Kimmiko waved her off "We were just walking by." _'And saw Kyo changing into a cat.'_ she thought.

"And saw Kyo changing into a cat." Hokori voiced boldly.

Yuki and Tohru stiffened.

"A… a cat?" Honda laughed nervously "This can't be true!"

"Yasai-san, Kotoni-san, please," the two girls' attention switched to Yuki, who took a couple of steps in their direction, an unreadable expression on his face "You saw nothing."

"Like Hell, Prince," Kimmiko took a step forward "We'd like an explanation of what happened to the Orange-Head, not that I care really, I'm just curious **how** did he manage to turn into a cat."

"It's not your business!" an annoyed voice rang from behind Tohru's back as the small orange cat jumped out of her arms and faced the two confused girls "It's better for you to leave and forget what you saw, or else -"

"Or else what?" Kimmiko challenged, a bit freaked out by all this, but refusing to show it.

"Or else you'll be _forced_ to forget."

Tohru let our a short gasp. "Kyo-kun…!" she breathed out, but seemed too shocked to continue.

"That dumb Cat is right, for once," Yuki sighed "It will be easier if you'd forget everything and never talk or think about it again."

"Do you… Actually believe we will forget this like that?" Kimmiko snorted. "Fat chance."

The silence which fell upon them after that was so thick, one could cut it with a knife. Or even something less sharp. Kimmiko held her gaze steadily on the Prince, and his purple eyes were fixed on hers. Yuki did not like the stubbornness he saw in her dark green eyes. She won't give up easily, that was for sure.

"It's a secret of the Sohma family, that's all I can tell you and that's all you will know." He finally uttered, the tone of his voice left no room to argue.

"Listen, Prince Yuki or whatever they call you at school, I -"

"Kimmi-chan, don't push them."

All eyes fell upon Hokori, who was silent throughout most of the events that took place, her eyes upon Kyo's animal form, and just then decided to speak up. The brunette gulped slightly, uneasy at the attention, not to mention a certain orange-furred cat which shifted its' - _his_ - eyes on her.

"I mean," she continued weakly "It's really weird and all, but if it's a secret, then we can't do anything about it." He cheeks were gradually gaining more color until the pink was clearly visible "D-don't get me wrong, I'd _love_ to know how on Earth did Kyo Sohma transform into a cat, but… Why are they supposed to trust us? They don't…" Hokori bit her lip before ending, "They don't even _know_ us."

* * *

Kimmiko waited patiently in front of the school building. A school trip had been organized, and the students had to gather in front of the school, making sure to stick to the rest of the people in their class. As usual in those kind of situations, Hokori was late.

"She's later than usual," Kimmiko muttered, glancing at her watch. 2 minutes left until the start of the school trip. It was a simple field trip to the nearby forest, something about observations of the nature, but it so happened that Kimmiko wasn't exactly paying attention as the teacher had explained the details.

"C'mon, Hokori…" she sighed.

"Kotoni is on her way."

Kimmiko spun around as the familiar voice of Hatsuharu rang a couple of meters away from her.

"Oh yeah? How'd you know?" she raised her eyebrow.

"While I was walking by her house, I heard her rather loud screams. Something about being late… Again."

"Hn, typical," Kimmiko snorted. Her green eyes wandered back to the boy. He looked kind of bored. Well, he looked **really** bored, and a bit out of it. Still, it was a completely different person than around a week before, when that older dude had been taunting Momiji.

"Is something wrong?"

Kimmiko blinked as Haru's dull eyes made contact with hers. She opened her mouth to ask what he'd meant, but then realized that he caught her staring. Quite openly, I might add.

"No… No, nothing's wrong," she turned her eyes elsewhere, feeling her cheeks warm up in embarrassment. _'Am I blushing? Damnit, I should be more discreet… Why do I care whenever __**he**__ sees me staring or not? Man…'_ she let out a short sigh, rubbing her temple _'I have a feeling today's gonna be a crappy day.'_

"I'M HERE! Sorry, I er... Had to do something important and... Eh, you know!"

A sweat-drop rolled down Kimmiko's forehead. _'It's unbelievable how she changes in the mornings…' _she thought.

Hokori noticed her friend in the crowd and waved madly. "Yo, Kimmi-chan! What's with that face?"

"Guess 3 times," Kimmiko rolled her eyes.

"Eh, I don't think so," Hokori shrugged "So, excited about today?"

"As always…" Kimmi's response was as dull and sarcastic as the previous one. "I can't see why _you're_ so giddy about it,"

"Meh." Hokori grinned despite the nonchalant act she tried to pull off "I guess I'm really happy about today."

"Of course. I nearly forgot that the _whole_ school is going." The blonde smirked as her friend's face turned a nice shade of pink. Whole school equals Kyo Sohma.

"Whatever." Was the oh so smug response.


	3. Part 3

_Thank you so much, _Sims2lover_ and _EarthGoddess3134_ for leaving a Review behind! Here's Part 3, specially for you! :) The last Part will be out this Sunday._

* * *

Part 3

"Man, we're like, walking for hours!"

"As a matter of fact, it's been only half an hour."

"Feels much more to me."

"That's cause you're too lazy to at least _try_ to do anything during P.E., and not constantly skipping it, Hokori."

"What's the connection between P.E. and walking through the forest?"

"Oh well, I don't know… Maybe **condition**?"

"Shut up."

Kimmiko smirked mentally as she won another battle. Hokori was just too easy to mess with.

The two friends were walking at the very end of their class, which makes them the last pair in the line. A little in front of them walked Hatsuharu and Momiji, with the rest of their class further in the front. Hokori tried to – as discreetly as she could – spot the all too familiar bright orange head among the crowd, but it was somewhere near impossible. There were way too many people. _'Darn, where __**is**__ he?' _she frowned as she thought she'd caught a glimpse of Kyo, but it was just her imagination. She'd seen Yuki and Tohru from time to time, but no sign of Kyo.

After a while, Hokori was about to give up and stop searching for the boy with her eyes, when he popped out of nowhere just a few feet before her. Kyo was walking behind his class, his eyes downcast, deep in thoughts. The girl felt her heart starting to beat faster as she unconsciously quickened her pace. She passed a few people and finally caught up to the orange-headed Sohma boy.

"Why so down when we have such a wonderful day today?"

Kyo's head snapped up at the somewhat familiar voice. His reddish eyes fallen upon a girl, who was walking beside him. When did she got there – he had no idea.

Remembering the face, he scowled. "Why should _you_ care?"

"Why shouldn't I?" Hokori turned her eyes to him, desperate to stop the blush which was slowly making its' way to her cheeks "I'm in a good mood and I don't want such a pitiful sign to ruin it."

Hokori felt her blood run cold as she bit her tongue.

_'DID I JUS__T SAY WHAT I THINK I SAID?!'_

"PITIFUL?!" Kyo yelled out, ticked off "If anyone's pitiful, it's YOU!"

"You don't even know me to judge me in such a way, _Kyon-Kyon_." Horoki was a bit offended by his words, but she tried to brush it off, concentrating on something else. She wanted him to stop wearing that thoughtful, almost depressed expression on his face and brighten up, even if it meant insulting her.

"Well, how come you know me better?" he asked, crossing his arms stubbornly.

"I've been watching you for quite a while now."

Hokori froze, her eyes widening, seeming ten times bigger than normal. Kyo also paused slightly, blinking upon hearing this. _'She… What?'_

"I – I mean, just now, you seemed so… Erm, you know, that face of yours, it was just… And I saw it, and I kinda… Y'know, just tried to…" the girl stuttered frantically, her face beet red now. _'YOU TOTAL MORON, YOU!! UGH, I'D GLADLY KICK MY OWN ASS RIGHT NOW, IF ONLY I COULD!!'_

"You tried to **what**?" Kyo inquired.

"I tried to cheer you up, or something."

"Why?"

"Well, I -"

"Why did you even bother?"

"Cause I wanted to." Hokori stuck out her tongue at him "So nyah,"

Kyo decided not to question her further, a large sweat-drop rolling down his forehead. _'What a weird girl…'_

"Hey..," his dark crimson brown eyes shifted to the girl beside him as she spoke suddenly, her own light blue eyes avoiding contact.

"What?" he asked as she didn't continue.

"You…" Hokori couldn't force herself to finish her thought, but decided to take a deep breath and just get on with it. Turning her head to look at the boy, she tried to control the heat which made her face turn red.

"You're cute as a cat."

* * *

Kimmiko was angry. No, she was _fuming_. She hadn't though of bringing a jacket with her since the day was beautiful and she was sure that she'd come back to her warm house around noon. But, her predictions were wrong this time and there she was, standing all alone in the middle of a forest, without knowing in which direction the exit was. The sun was slowly setting, the sky colored in thousands shades of orange, red and yellow. Even though it was Spring, the evening wind was quite chilly. Especially for Kimmiko, who'd been wearing a short-sleeved black T-shirt and a pair of long jeans, thankfully.

"We better hurry if we don't want to wander around in the dark,"

Okay, so Kimmiko wasn't _completely_ alone. Hatsuharu got up from the ground where he had been sitting for the past 5 minutes or so, dusted his clothes; lucky bastard, he was dressed in his usual black attire plus the long white cloak with fake fur that gave him extra warmth.

"I still think we should stay here, cause that's what you do when you get lost in an unknown territory; you wait until they find you," Kimmiko crossed her arms over her chest, glaring at the boy.

"Yeah, but we aren't in an unknown territory." Haru stated, shoving his hands into the pockets of his cloak.

"Oh yeah? Somehow, all those trees don't look familiar to me," the blonde snorted.

"We should be somewhere near Shigure's house, I think," Hatsuharu glanced around, finding nothing that could assure him he's right.

"Who?"

"Yuki and Kyo live with him," he shrugged.

"So, what are we waiting for?" Kimmiko shivered slightly "Lead the way!"

An hour passed…

"We've passed this rock… **10 times already**!!" Kimmiko snapped, gritting her teeth to prevent them from clattering. She faced Hatsuharu with a fierce glare "It's all _your_ fault, you idiot!"

"Who told you to follow me?" Haru asked, meeting her glare with a calm, blank expression.

Kimmi clenched her fists, hating the feeling of defeat in a verbal fight. Haru had a point; it's her fault that she's here with him…

_Kimmiko stared at Hokori's back as she joined Kyo. A smirk appeared on her face. 'My, hasn't she grown confident…'_

_She paused slightly as her body was about to collide with someone's back. She blinked and looked up a bit; Hatsuharu's dull eyes met hers._

_"Watch out." He uttered blankly._

_"I am." She retorted. He merely shrugged and continued walking. Kimmiko followed mindlessly, lost in her own thoughts, her eyes set on Haru's back, so that she wouldn't bump into him nor get lost._

_'Hokori is the last girl I know who would've fall in love so deeply… Wait, love? I bet it's a too big word. Crush, that's better. But still, when did she start to see that Orange-Head in a different way? Why didn't she tell me? True, I never asked, and we never really talked about girly stuff… Hokori was a tomboy, just like me. But now she's got a major crush… What about me? Will I also start crushing on someone? Pfft, never. Boys are too immature or think only about one thing. I'm better off alone than in a relationship with an idiot…'_

_After a while Kimmiko, surprised and intrigued to hear that all the voices of other students died down, lifted her head a bit. Hatsuharu was still walking slightly in front of her, but the other students… Disappeared._

_"Eh?" the girl blinked, bewildered "What happened?"_

_Upon hearing her confused voice, Haru stopped and turned to look at her. "What do you mean?"_

_"Where's the rest of the people?" Kimmiko looked around; surely, the two of them were alone, surrounded by trees._

_Hatsuharu also looked around lazily. "They're gone," he observed, then shrugged "I guess I got lost again."_

_"You got…" Kimmi's right eye twitched violently "You… What do you mean you got __lost__?!"_

_"I'm awful with directions and I often get lost, sometimes for a couple of days, sometimes for a month." The boy shrugged again carelessly._

_"A MONTH?!" Kimmiko's cool demeanor shattered "You got ME lost with YOU! You better find the rest of our class soon!"_

_"Hey, keep it down, will you? You didn't have to follow me." He replied._

_"I got lost in thoughts and I was sure you're following the rest!" Kimmi snapped "How come you got lost while following the whole SCHOOL?!"_

_"I wasn't paying attention to them."_

_"Ugh! We better find our way back fast, let's go! From which direction did we came here?"_

_Hatsuharu shrugged only._

_"Arrrgh…"_

Kimmiko shivered violently. The air was getting colder. _'Damn it,'_ she cursed in her mind _'If it gets any colder, I'll most certainly freeze to death…'_

The girl nearly jumped out of her skin as something warm made contact with her back and shoulders. She glanced down; it was a white jacket with fake fur trimming the hood. Shifting her surprised and questioning gaze to Hatsuharu, she raised her eyebrow.

"Your teeth were making too much noise and I couldn't concentrate," he shrugged.

"That's very noble of you, thanks," Kimmi rolled her eyes "But won't you be cold now?" she added, eyeing his long-sleeved shirt. It didn't look specially warm.

"I'll be fine." Haru looked at her blankly "Won't your parents be worried about you?"

"Huh?" Kimmiko blinked at the sudden question "Oh… No, I guess not…" her face turned expressionless "They have no idea I'm out of house."

Haru raised an eyebrow "You don't live with them?"

"No, I…" Kimmiko hesitated "They're too busy with work."

"In Japan?"

Once again, the question took the girl by surprise. "No, Mr. 21 Questions," she scoffed "In America." It was always a touchy subject for Kimmiko; her parents had lived in Japan with her for a short period of time, but then they got a better job offer in their original country, America. They didn't think about it too long. They had packed and moved, while Kimmiko decided to stay. Her parents weren't happy about it, but she refused to change her mind.

No one knows that Kimmiko lives alone, her parents sending her money when needed. Only Hokori. And now, well, Hatsuharu knew half of the story, too.

"Must be tough living by yourself then…?" the Sohma boy shoved his hands in his pockets.

"Whatever…" she mumbled, then added loudly "Okay, I'm sick of this. You said there's a house somewhere near?" as Haru nodded, she continued, "Okay I'm gonna climb that tree and see if there's any lights in the area."

"You sure?" Hatsuharu gazed at her skeptically "You don't look like you could climb all the way up."

Kimmiko smirked "I'm tougher than you think."

As she made it to the top, Kimmi was grateful that the sky was filled with stars, it made it a little brighter and clearer for her to see. She spotted lights almost immediately, they weren't too far away. Kimmiko smiled, relieved.

"Hey, I see the lights!" she called out to Haru, who was standing under the tree, his eyes set on her.

Kimmiko began to make her way back down, but as she set her foot on a tree branch, it snapped. _'Oh shiiiiiiiiit!!'_

Haru blinked as he saw Kimmi falling down at rapid speed. He didn't have time to think about anything else, because the next second, her body collided with his and they both fell to the ground.

"Owww…" Kimmiko rubbed the back of her head and opened her eyes. The first thing she saw were Haru's dark eyes staring right back at her, mere inches away. None of them didn't have the time to blush at the embarrassing position; dark gray smoke surrounded Kimmiko and she found herself on the grassy ground. Hatsuharu disappeared.

"What the Hell?!" she shot up to her feet, but the sight before her made her land back on her butt "Shit!"

A big black and white ox was standing in front of her, its beady eyes set on her wide ones.

"Calm down," it spoke in Haru's voice.

_'I turned him into an OX?!'_

"B-but you're…" something clicked in her memory "The same thing happened to Kyo when Honda-san hugged him!"

"You've seen it?" the ox – Hatsuharu – blinked "How…"

"Oh, no, no, no, no!" Kimmiko shook her head violently "Before you say _anything_ else, first you have to explain what had just happened."

Haru sighed. "It's a long story…"

"We have time." She crossed her arms.

The ox stared at her for a while, but sighed, defeated. "Well, it' a family thing, I guess…"

* * *

"Where the Hell is she?!" Hokori walked up to the window for the hundredth time.

"Sit down already!" Kyo snapped.

"Aren't you worried about your cousin or whoever Haru's to you?!" Hokori bit back, crossing her arms.

"No." was his bold response.

"Now, now, Kyo. Miss Kotoni, would you like some tea?" Shigure smiled at the girl gently "It'll help you relax."

"Okay, whatever," Hokori was too busy trying to see something in the dark outside.

After she discovered that Kimmiko was no longer following the group, she got a bit worried. But then, the trip ended and Kimmiko still wasn't back. Getting slightly panicky by that time, Hokori noted that another person was missing – Hatsuharu. From what Kyo had told her, Haru was awful with directions and that he gets lost all the time, but usually ends up finding the right way to Shigure's house. Hokori had no idea who this 'Shigure' was, but she decided to go to his house and wait for Kimmiko there. Kyo tried to argue – worrying about the Curse (he still remembered the last time Tohru's friends were over; it was a real pain), but Hokori simply didn't take 'no' for an answer. And there she was, eyes glued to the window, paying Kyo only little attention while being in the same room as him, for the first time in a while.

After a while she saw something. Squinting her eyes to see clearly, Hokori gasped as two figures came into view. It was Hatsuharu and Kimmiko.

"Finally!" Hokori cried out, dashing at the front door.

"That was quick," Shigure grinned. "Usually, it takes much longer for Haru to find his way back." Then, a sly look crossed his face "Of course, this time he wasn't alone,"

"What was that, Dog?" Kyo turned his head to look closely at Shigure's face. The man sweat-dropped.

"Nothing, nothing…"


	4. Part 4

Part 4

Kimmiko sighed happily as she saw the small house. The lights were on and it looked as if it was waiting for them. Only a couple of meters to walk and they will be in a warm house drinking hot tea… That's what Kimmiko was dreaming about at the moment.

"Hey, Haru, we're here!" the girl turned around to inform Hatsuharu, a small smile on her face.

Hatsuharu returned the smile while gazing into Kimmiko's eyes. Up until the day he'd turned Black and she was able to stop him, he didn't pay much attention to the quiet blonde rebel of the class. But today, after he had told her about the Curse… She didn't scream, run away or freak out in a different way. Sure, it was a shock, but nothing she couldn't brush off.

_**"Do you know how many people would love to be able to turn into an animal? You've got the power. That's kin**__**da cool, in my opinion."**_ was all she had said.

After promising that she won't tell anyone about the Curse, Haru had changed into human form all of a sudden. That was the most shocking for the poor Kimmiko. But she managed to live it through.

Hatsuharu continued to gaze at the girl before him. _'How come I've never noticed her before…?' _he questioned himself. She was much different than other girls, not only when it comes to her personality. Kimmiko was nearly as tall as himself, had a pale face, dirty blonde hair and striking green eyes. She was slim and well-built due to her hard work during Gym Class, the only class she seemed to put any effort into.

Her style was also something that caught his attention right away; she didn't use to walk around in the school uniform, wearing black clothes, a spiky collar and dark make-up. People were constantly calling her 'Goth' or 'satanistic', but Kimmiko never seemed to care. And that was another thing he liked in her.

"Earth to Haru, you hear me?"

Hatsuharu blinked away his musings and his gaze met Kimmi's green eyes. She raised an eyebrow.

"I know you're probably used to wander around far away from home, but the simple people like me don't like it very much. So, can we _finally_ go inside?"

Haru smirked. "Since when _you_ are simple?"

Kimmiko returned the smug smirk. "You're right, I'm not. But I still don't like to be lost."

Haru's smirk turned into a smile suddenly "You sure aren't a typical human being, are you…?"

Taking it as a form of a playful insult, Kimmi opened her mouth to argue. But words froze in her throat as she stared into Haru's dark eyes. Her face flushed.

"I… What…" _'Am I stuttering?'_ "Just what was **that** supposed to mean?!" she uttered angrily, taking hold of her emotions.

"You're… Unusual."

Kimmiko blinked, bewildered. Haru has gotten a bit closer to her, not breaking eye-contact even for a second.

"You haven't seen _anything_ yet."

She tried to act confident and cocky, and hoped she could fool at least him – because she wasn't able to fool herself. Without thinking, she took a step in his direction; slowly closing the space between them.

"I bet you've got more to show than I can imagine."

He took a small step forward.

"You'll have to wait and see for yourself."

She took a small step forward.

"I'm sure it'll be worth it."

They were really close now, Kimmiko could smell his cologne. She liked that scent. Intense and not too strong. It suited him. A shadow shifted in the window of the house.

"I can assure you of it."

Small smirks were on their faces, though eyes lacked the cockiness. The front door opened.

"KIMMI-CHAAAN!"

Hatsuharu and Kimmiko jumped, nearly knocking into each other. Haru's eyes flashed dangerously, Kimmiko's right eye twitched.

_'Amazing timing, Hokori.'_

"Oh gods, I was getting really worried by now!" the brunette ran towards them, panting. "I mean, I know you of all people can survive in a forest, but you didn't have any food and you haven't taken a jacket! And the nights are so cold at this time of the year, I thought… What are you wearing?"

Kimmi blinked and looked down; she still had Haru's coat on.

"Oh, it's Haru's coat." She replied simply.

"I knew it looked familiar…" Hokori sneaked a glance at the boy. His face remained indifferent, but there was the faintest shade of pink on his cheeks. Kimmiko's face held a slightly more intense color and she looked a bit uneasy.

_'Uh-oh… Did __I come a little too early…?'_ Hokori sweat-dropped.

"Eh…" she smiled sheepishly "So… How was it?"

"Let's just…" Kimmiko let out a sigh "Get inside, huh?"

* * *

"So, you know about the Curse, huh?" Kimmiko asked Hokori and the brunette nodded.

"Yup! I, eh… _accidentally_ made Kyo turn into a cat! Heh…" she sweat-dropped. Kyo grunted.

"But now, there's a possibility Hatori will have your memories erased," Shigure uttered quietly, sipping his tea. Hatsuharu glanced at Kimmiko, who was sitting across him at the table. Hokori was sitting next to her and Kyo was half-laying on the floor near the door, his back facing them. Yuki wasn't at home, because went for Tohru, who was at work.

The room drowned in silence. Kimmiko stared at the table not really seeing it, and Hokori's eyes were shadowed by her hair.

"Well, until you promise not to tell anyone, and until Hatori will talk about it with Akito, the Head of the family, you are free to go!" Shigure broke the tense silence and smiled brightly.

"We won't tell anyone, promise." Hokori uttered quietly, smiling a little.

"Duh," Kimmiko snorted "How many people do you think would believe me?" she rolled her eyes "I don't want to end up being called a lunatic, thank you very much."

"What Kimmi-chan wanted to say, is 'Of course I won't tell anybody'," Hokori grinned.

"I said what I wanted to say, you don't have to correct me," Kimmi growled.

"Don't get all snappy, Kimmi-chan!" Hokori was unfazed by the glare her friend was serving her "I'm sorry I've probably ruined a moment between you and Haru-kun, I'll try to avoid it in the future!"

Hatsuharu blushed slightly, blinking. Kimmiko's pale face contrasted with the red color of her cheeks more visibly. Kyo turned his head to glance at the two. Shigure's smile widened so much, it was a surprise it staid on his face.

"So, Haru and Miss Kimmiko…?"

"Ugh, you're so annoying, Hokori." Kimmi groaned.

"Am I? Hmm, wonder how have you survived all those years with me," the brunette grinned.

"Okay, how about we get going before I'll get a major headache, huh?" the blonde stood up and bowed politely at Shigure "Thank you for the tea, we'll be on our way."

"Yeah, thanks!" Hokori also stood up, waving. "It was a pleasure to stay at your house, Shigure-san!"

"Ah, no problem, no problem!" Shigure waved back, smiling "Please visit us while being around, you're much welcome here!" _'I'm sure Haru and Kyo won't mind…'_ he laughed mentally.

"It's dark, you'll be fine on your own?" Kyo spoke up, not turning to look at them.

"Yeah, we'll be alright, but thanks for the concern!" Hokori grinned.

"See ya at school," Kimmi smiled and they both exited the house.

* * *

A full week had passed. There was no information form Hatori about Akito's decision, so the two girls didn't think about it.

Hokori exited the building she was working in with Tohru. That's what she had wanted to talk with Tohru about; Hokori's parents were divorced and she was living only with her mother. Her father was living in Kyoto, where Kori's been spending her holidays ever since the divorce. Her mother was paying the bills and everything, but Hokori couldn't ask her for money all the time. That's why she'd asked Tohru about her work (she heard Momiji talking about Tohru working one day). And now she was helping Honda with cleaning.

Usually, they'd go home together, but that night, Tohru finished a bit early and Hokori was left alone. Sighing, she put a bang of hair behind her ear and began walking. She liked the dark and wasn't afraid of walking during the night. But when a hand landed on her shoulder all of a sudden, Hokori couldn't help but jump and shriek.

"Hey, take it easy!" a familiar voice said from behind her "It's just me."

The brunette relaxed. "Don't **do** that again, Kyo." She turned to face him "What are you dong here?"

Kyo shrugged, his face a bit red. "Tohru came home earlier and said to pick you up since it's so dark and all…"

Hokori smiled brightly. "You didn't have to, I live not too far away from here, you know."

Kyo scowled. "Whatever, let's just go,"

Hokori walked beside Kyo, humming happily. She wasn't feeling too nervous, surprisingly. She'd done a lot of thinking about him lately, and came to a conclusion that maybe her crush had developed into something else. Something stronger and more serious. Something like… _Love_. As much as she tried to deny it, it was true.

"I-is it true that…" Hokori blinked and turned her gaze to him, a small smile on her lips.

"What?" she asked when Kyo didn't continue.

"That you… Like me…?"

The smile vanished immediately. Hokori's face turned red and her eyes widened. The light, cheerful attitude was replaced by nervousness.

"H-how do you…?"

Kyo gazed at her for a second, then cast his eyes down. "Just… answer."

In fact, he had no idea that Hokori had had her attention on him for so long. Kimmiko's words which he heard recently, had made him think about it.

_**"If you break her heart, I'll break **__**your neck, Orange-Head!"**_, the blonde had said as they passed each other in the hall one day.

Kyo had no idea what was that about. But then, the more he thought about it, everything gradually became clear. The way Hokori always argued with him, the way she always tried to be around him… She wanted to get his attention. Because she _liked_ him.

_**"I'd **__**love**__** to know how on Earth did Kyo Sohma transform into a cat"**_

_**"I've watched you for quite a while now."**_

_**"I tried to cheer you up, or something."**_

_**"You're cute as a cat."**_

"Well…" Hokori hesitated, but decided to be truthful; what sense was denying the obvious? "To be perfectly honest… Yes."

"Why?" the question caught her off guard "You don't know me."

"How oblivious you are…" the girl sighed "I told you, I've watched you for a long time now. And I guess that… You caught my attention and -"

"You can't like me."

"Why the Hell not?" it sounded a lot harsher than she meant. Hokori winced slightly, but Kyo didn't give her time to apologize.

"I'm a monster." He stated in an emotionless voice "I am incapable of love, and I turn into -"

"I told you, your cat form is adorable!" Hokori cut in before she could stop herself.

"Not only that, I…" Kyo paused. Why was he so afraid? The though of loosing a person, who accepted him and the Sohma Curse as if it was nothing, and who had feelings for him… It was so confusing… And painful. Kyo had lost one girl; Tohru had picked Yuki. And he couldn't change that. But now, another girl appeared in his life, and she picked _him_. Maybe even he had feelings for her, too?

That's why he had to tell her the truth.

"These beads…" Kyo glanced at the beads around his wrist. Hokori's heart ached at his sorrowful expression "When taken off, I turn… I turn into a real monster. A monster even my own mother couldn't love."

After that, there was silence between them. Kyo seemed to stiffen, awaiting for an answer. When none came, he sneaked a glance to the side, at the girl.

"So now, you expect me to run away, or something?" Hokori broke the silence, not looking at him.

Kyo blinked, bewildered. He didn't know what exactly he was expecting. But Hokori running away was an option.

"If you think of yourself as a monster, what would it make me if I'd run away from you?" Hokori sighed "I won't lie to you, it seems a bit… I dunno… You don't get to know that the boy you're crushing on is cursed too often, but… It isn't something you wanted. You were born like that and have to deal with it. Besides… A very smart person told me once, that everyone carries their inner monsters within themselves. I guess your 'monster' is a bit more literal, huh?" the brunette finally looked Kyo in the eye, a genuine smile on her face.

The boy's eyes widened. _'Why… Why is she like that? Isn't she scared? Why…?'_

"Eh, all the serious talk got me tired," Hokori rubbed the back of her head, yawning. She had to change the topic. The atmosphere was just… Too intense. _'Let's try to lighten it up a bit!'_ Glancing at Kyo with a small smirk on her lips and fake innocence in her eyes, she stepped closer.

"W-what are you doing?" Kyo stiffened, not sure what Hokori was up to.

"I'm so sorry, Kyo-kun, but I can't help myself," Hokori threw her arms around him in an embrace. She enjoyed the warmth of his body only for a second, then there was a puff of smoke and the girl was holding an orange cat in her arms, Kyo's clothes thrown over her shoulder.

"HEY! What was that for?!" Kyo protested, but found himself snuggling against her other shoulder. She was so warm.

"I said I'm sorry, but you're just too cute!" Hokori giggled as she heard the cat purring softly. _'How can I not love you, Kyo-kun…?'_

* * *

Around the same time, Kimmiko was sitting in a park near her house, a thick notebook in one hand, a pen in the other. She was writing in the notebook at a fast pace, deep concentration visible on her face. Occasionally, she'd tear her focused eyes from the pages and glance up at the stars above, searching for an inspiration. Nighttime was the best time for Kimmiko to write; she's been working on her own novel for quite a long time and she was slowly coming to an end.

"Isn't it too late to do homework?"

Remaining indifferent, Kimmi turned her head to look at Hatsuharu, who approached her slowly.

"I am not doing homework." She replied, inching to the side of the bench to give him some space to sit down "What are you doing here?"

"I was on my way home when I - "

"Got lost." They ended in unison. Kimmiko sweat-dropped.

"What's that?" Hatsuharu pointed at the notebook on her lap.

"That's a notebook," Kimmi uttered boldly.

"I would never thought of that." Haru rolled his eyes "I meant, what were you writing in it?"

"A novel I've been trying to finish since forever," Kimmi closed the notebook and put it aside.

"I'd like to read it once you finish it." Haru uttered, lifting his gaze from the notebook to Kimmi's face.

"I didn't know you liked reading," the girl raised her eyebrows.

"I never said I didn't; you assumed I didn't." Haru said with a small smirk. Kimmiko smiled in response, then continued to gaze at the stars.

There was a comfortable silence between them which was broke by Hatsuharu a moment later.

"I hope Hatori won't have to erase your memories."

"Yeah, me too." Kimi muttered, then blinked in wonder "Why?"

"The Sohmas have been betrayed from the beginning, the Zodiac members were hurt by their own parents. And other relatives, too." Hatsuharu's eyes fogged over as memories clouded his mind. "Not many people chose to accept us as we are; I know only Tohru, you… and Hokori. You didn't run away, you didn't freak out… That's why I don't want to lose the only friends I… _We_… have."

Kimmiko sat perfectly still throughout his speech. She couldn't avert her gaze from Haru's dark eyes. All the pain the Sohmas have to go through… She couldn't imagine it.

"Don't worry." She spoke up her voice strong and firm; determination shone in her eyes "Even if I have my memories of you erased, I'll come back. I have a tendency to do everything oppositely to what other people tell me to do or not do."

It was his turn to blink in surprise. A warm feeling spread through his body. He never really knew how it is to have a friend – because of his Chinese Zodiac animal, the ox, people considered him dumb and slow. Beside Yuki, Hatsuharu hadn't had any real friends. And then Kimmiko appeared, saying that she doesn't care about the Curse. _'Is it possible… She likes me for who, not what, I am?'_

Slowly, a smile formed on his lips. Something told him that Kimmiko won't be just a friend…

"That's good to hear." He murmured softly, leaning in.

Kimmiko didn't feel the cold air. Her body was emitting warmth, it felt so good… When Hatsuharu began to lean in, his face coming closer to hers, she felt no hesitation. Putting her hands on his shoulders to leave some space between them, she moved forward and caught his lips in hers.

_'First Hokori, now me… Is lo__ve infectious or something?'_ she mused, but then her mind went blank and she concentrated fully on the kiss.

None of them noticed when they came even closer to each other. As soon as their bodies collided, Hatsuharu vanished in the grayish smoke with a soft puffing sound. Kimmiko jumped slightly at the sudden loss of contact. She blinked and smiled sheepishly at the annoyed-looking ox in front of her.

"Oops," she grinned "I turned you into an ox!"

**THE END **

_Well, that's the end of this 4-Part One-Shot :D Thanks for sticking around, hope you had fun while reading this :) Before you exit, please leave a Review!_

_Oh and if someone noticed the _Rush Hour_ reference, you're good! xD_


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